Message Number: SG14923 | New FHL Archives Search
From: sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-08-06 05:38:29 UTC
Subject: RE: Raw Meat Question
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <7311109.1123306709876.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>

Although ferrets are more resistant to a number of the diseases that can be caught from raw foods than humans the descriptions in vet texts of how bad they tend to be when they happen are horrendous, so it becomes a matter of weighing the factors and each individual is going to also have personal takes on this.

I hope this conversation sticks to facts instead of just opinions because food conversations wind up being the types that most commonly derail, and it is usually over differences of opinion rather than facts.

Some past vet posts:

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG6258

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG6619

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG9058

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG14602

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG13032

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG2281

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG284

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG3963

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG1947

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG1002

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG202

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG168

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG5289

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG12283

Are there vets who believe in feeding raw? Yes. For example:

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=479&S=5

I have run into both opinions, so know that there is no perfect answer to this topic. All that people can do is to stick to facts instead of opinions, weigh the pros and cons, understand that diet is NOT "one size fits all", and then try one's best and be sure to do any follow-up which the final choice makes more needed (extra dental care, or extra parasite checks, or urine pH tests, or...

BTW, I know that there is a rumor circulating on some other lists that freezing kills salmonella. According to expert sources that is false. Here are just two of the ones I found:

http://www.food-info.net/uk/qa/qa-saf21.htm

http://www.salmonella.org/faq.html#q26

Meat alone, raw or cooked is NOT a balanced diet. For example, consumption of organs is also needed to get a number of needed minerals, and you would still come up short on some nutrients that are gotten in by wild relatives from food sources which have their own added risk factors.

There are decent arguments pro and con, and none of them can be summarily discounted. Every diet has its good and its bad points.

This is NOT a question for which there is any consensus among the experts, so we sure can't "solve" it. Read up on both sides thoroughly then discuss the points with your own vet and decide. No matter what you decide DO let your vet know because there are different things which will need to be checked more often with either, like parasites with raw, or dental plaque with kibble.

Remember the archives when you need to find info. Heck, there is even a link to doing one's own milk pasteurization to avoid ferrets getting TB from raw milk.

-- Sukie (not a vet)
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